Vial container with collar cap

ABSTRACT

Vial containers including a collar which is attached to a vial or incorporated into a vial cap, a cap designed to receive a portion of the collar while covering the vial, and a container designed to receive a portion of the collar and encase the body of the vial are described herein. The collar, generally, includes a means for reversibly attaching to the cap and container.

BACKGROUND

Administration of radioactive pharmaceutical substances or drugs,generally termed radiopharmaceuticals, is often used in the medicalfield to provide information or imagery of internal body structuresand/or functions including, but not limited to, bone, vasculature,organs and organ systems, and other tissue or as therapeutic agents tokill or inhibit the growth of targeted cells or tissue, such as cancercells. Radiopharmaceutical agents used in imaging procedures andtherapeutic procedures typically include highly radioactive nuclides ofshort half-lives and are hazardous to attending medical personnel. Theseagents are toxic and can have physical and/or chemical effects forattending medical personnel such as clinicians, imaging technicians,nurses, and pharmacists. Excessive radiation exposure is harmful toattending medical personnel due to their occupational repeated exposureto the radiopharmaceuticals. The constant and repeated exposure ofmedical personnel and patients to radiopharmaceuticals over an extendedperiod of time is a significant problem in the nuclear medicine field.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Embodiments described herein are directed to receptacles for vialsholding harmful fluids that include a cap, a container, and a collarhaving a means for attaching to both the cap and the container. Invarious embodiments, the collar may attach to a cap on the vial, and insome embodiments, the collar may include a septum and may be used inplace of the standard vial cap.

Various embodiments include a vial container including a collar, a cap,and a container. In some embodiments, the container may be configured toreceive a portion of the collar and to fixedly or removably attach to aportion of the collar, and in some embodiments, the cap may beconfigured to receive a portion of the collar and to removeably attachto the collar. In certain embodiments, the collar may include a firstattachment means for facilitating an attachment with the container, andin some embodiments, the first attachment means may include, forexample, a flex-ring, threads, a crimped portion, attachment pins, andthe like and combinations thereof. In particular embodiments, the collarmay include a second attachment means for facilitating an attachmentwith the cap, and in some embodiments, the second attachment means maybe, for example, a flex-ring, threads, a crimped portion, attachmentpins, and the like and combinations thereof. The collar, the container,or combinations thereof of various embodiments may further include ameans for attaching to a device, and in some embodiments, the collar,the container, or combinations thereof may include a flex-ring, threads,attachment pins, and combinations thereof.

In certain embodiments, the collar may include one or more of a lowergroove and upper groove or combinations thereof, and in someembodiments, the collar may include a magnetic material disposed in alower groove, an upper groove, or a combination thereof. In variousembodiments, the collar may include a vial groove on an inner surface ofthe collar, and in some embodiments, a spring may be disposed in thevial groove. The collar may include a upper flange providing an upperopening on the collar, and in particular embodiments, the collar mayinclude a lower flange.

In certain embodiments, the container may include an inner groove. Insome embodiments, a flex ring disposed in the inner groove, and in otherembodiments, the inner groove may include a magnetic material.

The cap of various embodiments may include a cylindrical lower portionhaving an interior groove. In some embodiments, the cap may include aflex-ring or magnetic material disposed in the interior groove.

Other embodiments are directed to a vial container including a collarcomprising a first attachment means for facilitating an attachment witha container and a second attachment means for facilitating an attachmentwith the cap, a cap configured to receive a portion of the collar, and acontainer configured to receive a portion of the collar. Additionalembodiments include a vial container including a collar, a capconfigured to receive a portion of the collar, and a containerconfigured to receive a portion of the collar.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the following detailed description, reference is made to theaccompanying drawings, which form a part hereof. In the drawings,similar symbols typically identify similar components unless contextdictates otherwise. The illustrative embodiments described in thedetailed description, drawings, and claims are not meant to be limiting.Other embodiments may be utilized and other changes may be made, withoutdeparting from the spirit or scope of the subject matter presentedherein. It will be readily understood that the aspects of the presentdisclosure, as generally described herein and illustrated in thefigures, can be arranged, substituted, combined, separated, and designedin a wide variety of different configurations, all of which areexplicitly contemplated herein.

FIG. 1 is a drawing showing a vial container system including a collar,container, and cap.

FIG. 2 is a drawing showing the features of an example of a collar.

FIG. 3A-C are drawings showing various containers.

FIG. 4A-C are drawings showing various caps.

FIG. 5 is a drawing showing a vial attached to a collar and insertedinto a container.

FIG. 6 is a drawings showing a collar and container including an encasedvial being attached to a device having a vial spike configured to acceptan inverted vial.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

As used in this document, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the”include plural references unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used hereinhave the same meanings as commonly understood by one of ordinary skillin the art. Nothing in this document is to be construed as an admissionthat the embodiments described in this document are not entitled toantedate such disclosure by virtue of prior invention.

This disclosure is not limited to the particular systems, devices andmethods described, as these may vary. The terminology used in thedescription is for the purpose of describing the particular versions orembodiments only, and is not intended to limit the scope.

The word “proximal” refers to a direction relatively closer to aclinician using the device described herein, and the word “distal”refers to a direction relatively further from the clinician. Forexample, the end of a catheter placed within the body of a patient isconsidered a distal end of the catheter, while the catheter endremaining outside the body is a proximal end of the catheter.

Embodiments of the invention are generally directed to enclosures andenclosure systems for vials including a cap, a container, and a vialcollar that is capable of reversibly attaching to both the cap and thecontainer, and methods for using such enclosures for storage ofhazardous materials such as, for example, radioactive substances andradiopharmaceuticals. Other embodiments are directed to utensils andtools configured to connect to various parts of enclosure and, incertain embodiments, utensils and tools for connecting to the collar,that allow a user to transport and manipulate the vial withoutphysically contacting the vial or the contents of the vial. The devicesand systems of such embodiments may allow for safe storage and transferof hazardous materials with reduced likelihood of user contact with thehazardous materials during transfer.

As illustrated in FIG. 1 in some embodiments, the enclosure 10 mayinclude a cap 100, a collar 120, and a container 130. The cap 100includes top 103 and circular lower portion 101. The collar 120 of suchembodiments may have a generally cylindrical shape with an internalcircumferential bore 120 sized to receive a flange or lip 141 portion ofthe vial 140. The collar 120 may be removably received by at least afirst portion of the container 130, and in some embodiments, the collar120 may be reversibly connected to the container 130 by some connectionmeans. Similarly, the collar 120 may be removably received by at least aportion of the cap 100, and in some embodiments, the collar 120 may bereversibly connected to the cap 100 by some connection means. In suchembodiments, the vial 140 may be completely encased by the container andthe cap, and in certain embodiments, the vial 140 may be spaced from thecontainer 130 and the cap 100 when encased such that the collar 120 maybe the only component of the system in physical contact with the vial140.

The collar 120 may typically have a generally cylindrical shape with anouter surface configured to contact the container and cap and an innersurface configured to attach to the vial. In some embodiments, thecollar 120 may be composed of a material that is capable of forming aconnection with the cap 100 and the container 130. For example, the capmay be composed in whole or in part of steel and magnets may be embeddedin the cap 100 and container 130 to facilitate a connection between thecollar 120 and the cap 100, container 130 or combinations thereof. Inother embodiments, the collar 120 may be composed on a non-magneticmaterial but one or more magnets that are capable of connecting with thecap 100, container 130, or combination thereof may be embedded in thecollar 120.

In still other embodiments, a physical connection may be made betweenthe collar 120 and the cap 100, container 130, or combinations thereof.For example, in some embodiments that collar 120 may include acircumferential groove 132 configured and arranged to accept a ring 131,such as a flexring, confined in a circumferential groove 132 in an innersurface of the container 130. In operation, the ring 131 will becomeenclosed by the circumferential groove 125 of the collar 120 and thecircumferential groove 132 of the container 130 when the circumferentialgroove 125 of the collar 120 and the circumferential groove 132 of thecontainer 130 meet connecting the collar 120 to the container 130 andholding the collar 130 and, by extension the vial 140 in place in thecontainer. In other embodiments, the ring may be confined in thecircumferential groove of the collar 120 rather than the container 130.While this example describes using a ring connector to connect thecollar 120 to the container 130, similar components may be used toconnect the collar 120 to the cap 100. In particular embodiments,separate ring type connectors can be used to connect the collar 120 toboth the container 130 and the cap 100.

In particular embodiments, a combination of means for connecting thecollar 120 to the cap 100 and container 130 may be used to reversiblyconnect the various components of the system. For example, in certainembodiments, the collar 120 may be composed of a magnetic material suchas steel that allows for a connection to be made with magnets 102embedded in circular lower portion 101 of the cap 100 and acircumferential groove 125 may be provided to connect to a ring typeconnector 131 enclosed in a circumferential groove 132 in the container130. Thus, the collar 120 and vial 140 may be held in the container 130by a physical connection, and the cap 100 may be held in contact withthe collar 120 by a magnetic connection. In use, the magnetic connectionbetween the cap 100 and collar 120 may be easier to break than thephysical connection between the collar 120 and the container 130. Theuser may, therefore, be able to remove the cap 100 without removing vial140 which remains encased in the container 130 by virtue of the physicalconnection of the collar 120 with the container 130. Other means forproviding a dual connector cap can be used to connect the collar 120 tothe cap 100 and container 130 that allow for preferential removal of thecap 100 and can be used in other embodiments.

A more detailed illustration of a collar 120 is provided in FIG. 2. Asillustrated, in some embodiments, the collar 220 may include an upperflange 222 and a lower flange 223 that provide a vial groove 221 on atleast a portion of an inner surface of the collar 220. The dimensions ofthe collar 220 may vary among embodiments depending of the size andshape of the vial and vial cap that the collar is designed toencapsulate. In particular, the height of the collar 220 (i.e., thedistance between the upper flange 222 and the lower flange 223) may beslightly larger than the height of the vial cap that the collar 220 isdesigned to encapsulate such that the vial cap fits snuggly within thevial groove 221 such that upper flange 222, lower flange 223, and innersurface 224 of the collar 220 contact at least a portion of the vialcap. In other embodiments, the collar 220 may be larger than the vialcap to which it is designed to connect allowing a gap to be created whenthe collar 220 is attached to the vial cap.

In such embodiments, a spring 225, rubber ring, or other means forholding the vial cap in place may be disposed in the gap. Thus for thecollar 220 depicted in FIG. 2, at least a portion of the vial cap maycontact the upper flange 222 and the inner surface 224 of the collar 220directly and the spring 225 may contact the lower flange 223 and thevial cap holding the vial cap and the vial in place by pushing the vialcap toward the upper flange 222. The spring 225 or other means disposedin the gap may further provide a means for introducing the vial cap intothe collar 220. For example, the spring 225 may allow the circumferenceof the opening created by the lower flange 223 to expand as the vial capis pressed against the spring 225. Once the vial cap has been receivedin the vial groove 221, the spring 225 may constrict around the neck ofthe vial preventing movement out of the vial cap out of the vial grooveby pushing a lower lip of the vial cap toward the upper flange 222.

The upper flange 222 and lower flange 223 of various embodiments mayhave a width that is the same or different and that may vary based, forexample, on the size of the vial, the size of the lip or flange portionof the vial, and combinations thereof. For example, in some embodiments,the upper flange 222 and the lower flange 223 may have substantiallyequal widths. In other embodiments, the upper flange 222 may have alarger width than the lower flange 223, and the width of the lowerflange 223 may be limited by the size of the vial.

The collar 220 may substantially cover the outer circumference of thecap of the vial. In certain embodiments, the upper flange 222 of thecollar 220 may cover at least a portion of the upper (top) surface ofthe cap of the vial and may provide an opening through which at least aportion of the top surface of the cap can be accessed. For example, acollar 220 configured and arranged to attach to a standard vial fortransporting injectable medical fluids and pharmaceuticals having acrimped cap and a septum for providing access to the contents of thevial may include an upper flange 222 that provides an upper opening ofsufficient size to provide full or partial access to the septum. Thecaps for standard vials may have a diameter of from about 25 mm to about45 mm and the width of the upper flange 222 of such embodiments may befrom about 2 mm to about 20 mm such that an opening having a diameter offrom about 5 mm to about 30 mm is created depending on the size of thevial and the cap.

As discussed above, the collar 220 may further include variouscomponents that allow the collar to reversibly connect to the cap 100and the container 130 (FIG. 1). In some embodiments, the collar mayinclude one or more circumferential groove 226 on an outer surface ofthe collar configured and arranged to accept a ring or other connectionmeans associated with the container 130. For example, in FIG. 2, acircumferential groove 226 is provided near the lower flange 223 of thecollar 220 that will be received by the container 130. In someembodiments, more than one circumferential groove similar to thecircumferential groove 226 depicted in FIG. 2 may be provided on a lowerportion of the outer surface of the collar to allow for a vial to beheld at various depths within the container 130. In other embodiments, acircumferential groove may be provide near the upper flange 222 of thecollar 220 to facilitate a connection with the cap 100.

In some embodiments, a second means for attachment may be provided onthe collar 220. For example, a ring of a magnetic material 227 may beprovided on an upper portion of the outer surface of the collar 220 thatis positioned to interact with a magnetic material associated with thecap 100 of the enclosure system 10. Magnetic material may include amagnet or a material capable of interacting with the magnet to form amagnetic connection such as steel or other metals. Thus, in someembodiments, the magnetic material 227 may include one or more magnetslocated about the outer circumference of an upper portion of the outersurface of the collar 220. In other embodiments, the magnetic material227 may be a metal ring embedded in the collar 220 or enclosed within acircumferential groove in the upper portion of the outer surface of thecollar 220. In still other embodiments, the magnetic material 227 may bea combination of metal portions and magnet portions.

In some embodiments, the collar 220 may be designed to fit over the capof a sealed vial. For example, a collar 220 may be placed on the cap ofa sealed vial by pushing the lower flange 223 onto and over the cap ofthe sealed vial. In such embodiments, the collar 220 may include a meansfor expanding the opening created by the lower flange 223 when thecollar is pressed onto the cap of the vial that constricts around theneck of the vial after the cap has been overcome. In other embodiments,the lower flange 223 may be crimped to attach the collar to the cap ofthe vial, and in still other embodiments, the collar 220 may include twoor more parts that attach around the cap of the vial to facilitateattachment.

In other embodiments, the collar 220 may attach directly to an uncappedvial. For example, in some embodiments, the collar may include a septumcovering the opening created by the upper flange 222 and the lowerflange 223 may be crimped onto an uncapped vial. In other embodiments,the collar 220 may include an inner surface that includes grooves andridges for screw type attachment to vial, and in still otherembodiments, other attachment means such as, for example, snap onconfiguration may be used to attach the collar to an uncapped vial. Inoperation, collars 220 that attach directly to the vial may be placed onthe vial during manufacture, or in some embodiments, the vial cap may beremoved and replaced with a collar 220 having a septum that is designedto be attached directly to the vial.

The collar 220 may be composed on any material known in the art. Forexample, in various embodiments, the collar 220 may be composed of apolymeric material, metal, composite material, or combinations thereof.In particular embodiments, the collar or portions thereof may becomposed of a polymeric material such as a plastic that has been moldedto include the various features described above. Various polymers knownin the art can be useful in such embodiments, including, but not limitedto, acrylic, polycarbonate, polyester, polypropylene, polyacetal,polystyrene, polyamide, polyacrylamide, polyimide, polyolefin, cyclicolefin copolymer, rubber, elastomers, thermosets, thermoplastics, andthe like and combinations thereof, and in certain embodiments, lowdensity polyethylene (LDPE), polypropylene (PP), polyacetal (POM),nylon, Santoprene, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and the like andcombinations thereof. In some embodiments, the collar or portionsthereof may be composed of a metal or metal alloy such as, but notlimited to, aluminum, steel, copper, brass, and the like andcombinations thereof.

Examples of containers encompassed by embodiments are provided in FIG. 3A-C. In general, the upper portion 334 of the container 330 may bedesigned to receive at least a portion of the collar, and the container330 of various embodiments may at least include a means for connectingto the collar 120. For example, a container 330 for connecting to thecollar depicted in FIG. 2 may include a circumferential groove 332disposed on an inner surface or an upper portion of the container 330. Aring 331 or other means for connecting to the collar 120 may be providedwithin this circumferential groove 332. In other embodiments, a magneticmaterial may be disposed within the circumferential groove 332 of thecontainer 330.

To receive the collar 120, the upper portion 334 of the container 330may have an inner diameter slightly larger than the outer diameter ofthe collar 120. In some embodiments as depicted in FIG. 3A, the diameterof the upper portion 334 of the container 330 may be the same as thediameter to the lower portions 335 of the container. Thus, the container330 may have a substantially uniform diameter. In other embodiments asdepicted in FIG. 3B, the inner diameter of the upper portion 334 of thecontainer 330 may be sized to receive the collar 120 and larger than theinner diameter of the lower portion 335 of the container 130 to create ashelf 333 that retains the collar 120 in the upper portion 344 of thecontainer 330. Thus, the shelf may 333 hold the collar in the upperportion 334 of the container to reduce the likelihood of the collarbeing pushed in to the lower portion 335 of the container. In someembodiments as illustrated in FIG. 3C, a shelf 333 may be disposedbetween an upper portion 334 and a lower portion 335 havingsubstantially similar diameters. In certain embodiments, the shelf 333may be an extension of the material making up the walls of the container330. Thus, the container 330 may be bored from the same material with anupper portion 334 and a lower portion 335 having similar diameters witha ring or material, i.e., the shelf 333, creating a smaller diameterdisposed between the upper portion 334 and the lower portion 335. Inother embodiments, a shelf 333, as depicted in FIG. 3C, may be composedof a material, that can be the same or different from the material usedto make the container, that is inserted into a secondary groove on theinner surface of the container 330.

The container may be sized to hold a vial and the size of the containermay vary depending, for example, on the size of the vial. In someembodiments, the lower portion 335 of the container 330 may be sized toreceive a vial of a particular size. For example, a standard vial forholding 2 ml of injectable liquid has a diameter of 12 mm and a heightof 32 mm, the lower portion 335 of the container 330 may be sized toreceive a vial. In other embodiments, The lower portion 335 of thecontainer 330 may be sized to accommodate various vials having differentsizes and shapes. For example, the lower portion 335 of the container330 may have a diameter and height substantially larger than thediameter and height of the 2 ml vial described above, but the collar maybe able to securely hold the vial within the container 330. Therefore,the container may be able to hold substantially larger vials, e.g., 5ml, 10 ml, 20 ml, etc., as well as the relatively small 2 ml vialdescribed above.

FIG. 5 shows a vial 540 that is held in a container 530 by an attachmentof the container 530 to the collar 520. The vial 540 includes a septum541 that can be accessed through an opening 526 in the collar 520. Asillustrated, no other part of the vial is accessible to the user, and inembodiments in which the vial holds, for example, radioactive materials,emissions from the radioactive materials may be blocked by the container530 and collar 520 when the collar 520 and container 530 are composed ofa material that is capable of blocking radioactive emissions Suchmaterials include for example, tantalum, tungsten, lead, andcombinations thereof, aluminum, aluminum alloy, titanium, titaniumalloy, beryllium, beryllium alloy, plastics, and combinations thereof,and various ceramic and polymer matrix materials including such metals.

In various embodiments, the attachment between the collar 520 and thecontainer 530 may be sufficient to allow the container 530 containingthe vial 540 to be inverted. For example, flex-ring containing collar520 and container 530 combinations described above can providesufficient stability to allow the container to be inverted while thevial remains attached. In some embodiments, the collar 520 or thecontainer 530 may be configured to allow for the introduction of aninverted container into a larger device. For example as illustrated inFIG. 6, certain devices 650 may include an upright vial spike 651positioned to accept an inverted vial 640. The collar 620 and thecontainer 630 may include elements that allow the collar 620 or thecontainer 630 to interact with the device 650 to hold the vial in placeon the vial spike 651 to allow transfer of fluid from the vial 640 tothe device 650. For example, FIG. 6 shows a collar 620 and a devicehaving mating grooves and ridges that allow for the collar 620 to bescrewed into the device 650. In other embodiments, alignment pins,grooves, ridges, or other means for attachment may be provided on thecollar 620 or the container 630 that allow the container 630 and collar620 housing a vial 640 to dock to the device 650 and to hold the vial inposition to allow for removal of the contents of the vial 640 throughseptum 641.

The container 330, as illustrated in FIG. 3, may be made from anymaterial known in the art, and the choice of material may depend on thehazardous material held within the vial. For example, in variousembodiments, the container 330 may be made from a polymeric material,metal, composite material, or combinations thereof. In particularembodiments, the container 330 or portions thereof may be composed of apolymeric material such as a plastic that has been molded to include thevarious features described above. Various polymers known in the art canbe useful in such embodiments, including, but not limited to, acrylic,polycarbonate, polyester, polypropylene, polyacetal, polystyrene,polyamide, polyacrylamide, polyimide, polyolefin, cyclic olefincopolymer, rubber, elastomers, thermosets, thermoplastics, and the likeand combinations thereof, and in certain embodiments, low densitypolyethylene (LDPE), polypropylene (PP), polyacetal (POM), nylon,Santoprene, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and the like and combinationsthereof. In some embodiments, the container 330 or portions thereof maybe composed of a metal or metal alloy such as, but not limited to,aluminum, steel, copper, brass, and the like and combinations thereof.In particular embodiments, the container 330 may be designed to hold aradioactive material and may be composed of a material capable ofstopping emission of high energy radioactive particles. Such materialsinclude for example, tantalum, tungsten, lead, and combinations thereof,aluminum, aluminum alloy, titanium, titanium alloy, beryllium, berylliumalloy, plastics, and combinations thereof, and various ceramic andpolymer matrix materials including such metals.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, the cap 100 may be of any size and may bedesigned to at least contact an upper portion of the collar 120. Forexample, as illustrated in FIG. 4B, the cap 400 may include acylindrical lower portion 401, and a circular top 402 having a diameterthat is about equal to the diameter of the cylindrical lower portion 401and may cover the upper surface of the cylindrical lower portion 401. Invarious embodiments, the cylindrical lower portion 401 of the cap 400may have a diameter substantially similar to the diameter of thecontainer 130 such that when the cap 100 is placed on top of thecontainer the cylinder created has a substantially uniformcircumference. While FIG. 4B provides a cap 400 having a circular top402, in some embodiments, the top of the cap 400 may have an angularshape to facilitate handling, and in further embodiments, the top of thecap 400 may have a domed shape to increase the area inside the cap 400,to provide additional shielding, or for aesthetic appeal.

In various embodiments as illustrated in FIG. 4A, the cylindrical lowerportion 401 of the cap 400 may include an interior groove 403 positionedto correspond with the upper portion of the outer surface of the collar,and the interior groove 403 may provide a means for attaching to thecollar. For example, in some embodiments, in which a magnetic ring isprovided in the upper portion of the outer surface of the collar, theinterior groove 403 of the cap 400 may include a metallic ringpositioned to interact with the magnetic ring in the upper portion ofthe outer surface of the collar. In other embodiments as illustrated inFIG. 4C, one or more magnets 404 may be provided on the inner surface ofthe lower portion 401 of the cap that are positioned to interact withthe upper portion of the outer surface of the collar.

The cap 400 may be made from any material known in the art, and thechoice of material may depend on the hazardous material held within thevial. In some embodiments, the cap 400 may be made from the samematerial as the container, and in other embodiments, the cap 400 may bemade from a different material than the container. For example, invarious embodiments, the cap 400 or portions thereof may be made from apolymeric material, metal, composite material, or combinations thereof,such as those described above. In some embodiments, the container 330 orportions thereof may be composed of a metal or metal alloy such as thosedescribed above. In particular embodiments, the container 330 may bedesigned to hold a radioactive material and may be composed of amaterial capable of stopping emission of high energy radioactiveparticles such as those described above.

Although various embodiments have been described in detail for thepurpose of illustration, it is to be understood that such detail issolely for that purpose and that the disclosure is not limited to thedisclosed embodiments, but, on the contrary, is intended to covermodifications and equivalent arrangements. For example, it is to beunderstood that this disclosure contemplates that, to the extentpossible, one or more features of any embodiment can be combined withone or more features of any other embodiment.

What is claimed is:
 1. A vial container comprising: a collar having afirst portion with a first attachment member on an outer circumferentialsurface of the collar and a second portion with a second attachmentmember on the outer circumferential surface of the collar; a containerhaving a first attachment point within a container interior thatreceives the first portion of the collar within the container interior,the first attachment point engaging the first attachment member of thecollar; and a cap having a second attachment point within the cap forremovably engaging the second attachment member of the collar to receivethe second portion of the collar within the cap, the cap being removablyconnectable to the collar; wherein the collar comprises a vial groove onan inner circumferential surface to receive a portion of a vial cap of avial; and wherein the collar is completely encased within the containerand the cap when the cap is connected to the collar.
 2. The vialcontainer of claim 1, wherein the first attachment member is selectedfrom the group consisting of at least one magnet or magnetic material, aflex-ring, threads, a crimped portion, attachment pins, and combinationsthereof.
 3. The vial container of claim 1, wherein the second attachmentmember is selected from the group consisting of at least one magnet ormagnetic material, a flex-ring, threads, a crimped portion, attachmentpins, and combinations thereof.
 4. The vial container of claim 1,wherein the collar comprises a lower groove on the first portion, anupper groove on the second portion, or combinations thereof.
 5. The vialcontainer of claim 1, wherein the collar comprises a magnetic materialdisposed in a lower groove, an upper groove, or a combination thereof.6. The vial container of claim 1, further comprising a spring disposedin the vial groove.
 7. The vial container of claim 1, wherein the collarcomprises an upper flange providing an upper opening on the collar. 8.The vial container of claim 1, wherein the collar comprises a lowerflange.
 9. The vial container of claim 1, wherein the containercomprises an inner groove.
 10. The vial container of claim 9, whereinthe container further comprises a flex ring disposed in the innergroove.
 11. The vial container of claim 9, wherein the inner groovecomprises a magnetic material.
 12. The vial container of claim 1,wherein the cap comprises a cylindrical lower portion having an interiorgroove.
 13. The vial container of claim 12, wherein the cap furthercomprises a flex-ring or magnetic material disposed in the interiorgroove.
 14. The vial container of claim 1, wherein the collar, thecontainer, or combinations thereof further comprise a flex-ring,threads, attachment pins, alignment pins, grooves, ridges orcombinations thereof for attaching the vial container to a device.
 15. Avial container comprising: a collar comprising a first attachment memberon a first portion of an outer circumferential surface, a secondattachment member on a second portion of the outer circumferentialsurface, and a vial groove on an inner circumferential surface toreceive a portion of a vial cap of a vial; a container that receives thefirst portion of the collar within an interior of the container suchthat the first attachment member of the collar engages a firstattachment point within the interior of the container; and a cap havinga second attachment point within the cap for removably engaging thesecond attachment member of the collar to receive the second portion ofthe collar within the cap, the cap being removably connectable to thecollar, wherein the collar is completely encased within the containerand the cap when the cap is connected to the collar.
 16. A vialcontainer comprising: a collar having a first portion and a secondportion; a container that receives the first portion of the collarwithin an interior of the container; and a cap that receives the secondportion of the collar within an interior of the cap, the cap beingremovably connectable to the collar; wherein the collar comprises a vialgroove on an inner circumferential surface configured to receive aportion of a vial cap of a vial and an outer circumferential surfaceconfigured to contact the interiors of the container and the cap,wherein the collar contacts the cap through a magnetic attractionbetween one or more magnets located about at least a portion of an outercircumference of the second portion of the collar and a magneticmaterial in the cap, a magnetic material located in the second portionof the collar and one or more magnets located about at least a portionof an inner circumference of the cap, or one or more magnets locatedabout at least a portion of the outer circumference of the secondportion of the collar and one or more magnets located about at least aportion of the inner circumference of the cap, and wherein the collar iscompletely encased within the container and the cap when the cap isconnected to the collar.
 17. The vial container of claim 1, furthercomprising the vial having a body and a flanged lip.
 18. The vialcontainer of claim 15, further comprising the vial having a body and aflanged lip.
 19. The vial container of claim 16, further comprising thevial having a body and a flanged lip.